The Operatives Episode 3 The Strength Of Faith
by TrueThought
Summary: Leave remains elusive as Obi-Wan finds himself held accountable for the actions of Quinlan Vos who has disappeared under suspicious circumstances just as three senators are murdered. Meanwhile Bail Organa witnesses the assasination of ex-Chancellor Valorum who's secret visit to Corescant could turn out to be quite dangerous for a Loyalist senator.
1. Chapter 1

The Operatives; Episode 3: The Strength Of Faith

Chapter 1: In which our heroes' leave gets off to a bad start.

The sun glinted off the buildings of Corescant with the noonday heat that spoke of a warm summer to come. If there was ever a doubt in Obi-Wan's mind as to whether the war should be fought at all, the view across the city-planet and what it represented would alleviate his fears.  
Today he was in high spirits, they all were. 'The Operatives', as they'd been quickly dubbed after their successes at Mandalore and Kuat, had just negotiated a difficult trade agreement between two mid-rim worlds and the Hutt cartels. This, on top of an increasing number of well-conducted missions, was gaining them respect across the Republic; in addition, each of them had found that working in a close-knit team for long stretches of time was uplifting for the soul, especially in times of war. That day Kit Fisto wasn't with them. He had been on campaign for some months but was scheduled to return within the next few days. All things considered The Operatives had a lot to be happy about.  
"I don't know about you," Bail said, shouldering his pack, "but I'm going to go back to my apartment and sleep for twelve hours straight."  
Padme and Obi-Wan exchanged glances; Padme, with just a little less of Obi-Wan's emotional control, snorted with derision.  
Bail raised an eyebrow, "Oh yes? What have I said now?"  
Obi-Wan was close to laughing himself now, "Sorry Bail; it's the thought of you sleeping for twelve hours straight at this time of the day."  
"Speaking only for myself I think we all deserve a good rest," Bail retorted, "and if it can be managed, a week off."  
Now Obi-Wan was unable to stop a chuckle escaping him, "Bail we all know what you'll be doing as soon as you get to your apartment. You'll start on the pile of paperwork that has built up in your absence."  
"Not this time," Bail assured him, "this time I'm going to take some leave."  
"If Jedi gambled then I'd be able to offer you very good odds," Obi-Wan didn't try to get rid of the grin on his face.  
"Jedi don't gamble," Bail pointed out, "as you've just said."  
"Ah well," Obi-Wan sighed, still grinning, "I'll just reserve the right to look smug tomorrow morning when you haven't slept a wink."  
"Just as long as we don't get sent out on assignment for at least a fortnight," Bail said.  
"None of us will complain about that," Padme replied. They had been very busy lately, having been moved straight from one mission to another without time to rest.  
"In any case," Bail said lightly, "tonight I'll give you both dinner."  
"And there goes the twelve hours sleep," Obi-Wan said with a knowing smile at Padme.  
"Point made and definitely beaten to death," Bail retorted, "are you coming to dinner?"  
"Yes, of course," Obi-Wan said, a little more seriously now, "but first I need to get back to the Temple and report in."  
"See you this eveningthen," Padme called after him. He waved back.

After putting in a comm-call to Anakin on the way to the Temple (who was fine but dashing around chasing Lok Durd from system to system) Obi-Wan went straight to his room and changed into a fresh tunic. He then went to the Council chamber as he'd been instructed to do but found the place deserted. Bultar Swan, who was passing told him, "I think they're in the war room; have been for most of the day."  
Obi-Wan nodded his thanks and headed off for the tower in which the holo-projection room at the top had been converted into a war room. There was a holo-projection room in all of the five towers but the Council had decided that the affairs of war should be kept as far away from the affairs of the Jedi as possible – if only in a figurative sense. Once he arrived there, however, he was told that the Council did not wish to see him at this time. So, masking his slight irritation, he went down to the Halls of Healing.  
The Twi'lek Jedi Master Vokara Che was something of a dragon by reputation, a result of dealing with stubborn Jedi she told Obi-Wan frequently. After Zigoola she'd 'required' him to visit her on a regular basis (or as regular as he could manage) in order to keep an eye on his condition. Today she seemed in a positive mood.  
"It does help," she was saying, eyes never leaving the computer screen, "that you aren't dashing into battle as much as you used to. It's nice to see that you took my advice after Lanteeb."  
A mission that had worn him so far beyond exhaustion; he'd had no choice but to take her advice.  
"I'm getting better am I?" he asked.  
"As long as you are careful," she replied, firmly, "It's no good taking this much care of yourself and then throwing it away again."  
He nodded, "I will, thank you Master Che."  
She shook her head, "I can only say what I've said before Obi-Wan; you'll have to learn to live with this or it will tear you apart."

Leaving the Halls of Healing he was met by a very excitable young padawan who told him that the Council requested his presence in the war room so, with a slight sigh, he made his way back up the tower.  
It wasn't just the Council in the room; nearly every Jedi general who'd fought multiple campaigns over the last year and a half was there. Both Master Yoda and Master Windu were present and the air of the whole company was a very sombre one, almost oppressively so.  
Mace Windu greeted him as he walked in, "Obi-Wan, I believe congratulations are in order for your negotiations with the Hutts."  
"Thank you Master," Obi-Wan said with a small bow. "Is there a reason I was summoned?"  
Mace was about to answer him when another voice cut him off, "Your 'friend' has done it again."  
Obi-Wan turned slowly to face the speaker. He'd never really got along with Koffi Arana, partly because of differences of opinion that neither had ever spent the time to smooth over, but it was more to do with the fact that he knew that Arana did not like him; loathed though he was to admit it, in return, he did not like Arana.  
"Could you be more specific?" he asked.  
"Your 'friend', Vos."  
Mace Windu jumped back into the exchange at this point; "As you know Obi-Wan, we ask generals in the field to contact us once every twelve hours unless they are under attack."  
"I vaguely remember the procedure," Obi-Wan muttered sarcastically.  
"We haven't heard from Quinlan Vos in twenty-four hours," Mace continued. "We still have contact with his unit but he himself is nowhere to be found."  
"I assume he's not on another secret spying mission?" Obi-Wan asked. His scathing tone was not particularly well disguised but the company passed over it in silence. Obi-Wan knew he was edging towards the limit of decorum when addressing the Jedi Council but the secret assignment that Quinlan had undertaken, to infiltrate Dooku's inner circle and pretend to all that he had fallen to the Dark Side, was something he felt strongly about. Quite apart from the fact that it was dangerous for a Jedi to undertake such a deception the plan had failed, causing damage not only to the war effort but also to the Jedi Quinlan left behind and to Quinlan himself and Obi-Wan had not quite found it in himself to forgive Mace Windu, Yoda and Quinlan's master Tholme for keeping the whole idea a secret. If anything the deception had hurt them all more than the failure.  
"Are we trying to locate him?" he asked.  
"There isn't much point," Arana snapped. "We all know where he's gone though no one will admit it!" Obi-Wan noticed that, if he was barely controlling his view of the situation, Arana was not really trying.  
"We intend to give Quinlan another twelve hours," Mace Windu said, as if Arana had not spoken, "and then we'll review the situation."  
"A long vigil, it is," Yoda put in, "so rest we must. Contact you all, if anything we hear."  
Some masters took their leave; others remained, sitting down and preparing to pass the time in meditation, or conversation.  
"You definitely should get some sleep Obi-Wan, while you can," Mace advised him.  
Obi-Wan was looking past him, watching the Jedi around the room, "No I'll stay I think. I do need a drink of water though."  
Slowly he passed out into the hallway and looked out, over the expanse of the city-scape. Then he leaned back and put his head against the wall.  
"You had to do this didn't you Quin? You had to do this."  
He breathed out slowly, "Of course you did."  
He pulled out his comlink, "Bail? I'm sorry; I'm not going to make it tonight."  
He smiled thinly as he listened, "How ever did you guess?"


	2. Chapter 2

**A.N.** As part of my, very late, explinations round, a quick word about Taria (who you will meet below); she's a Jedi Master who appeared in the Karen Miller books _Stealth_ and _Siege_. She and Obi-Wan had a relationship when they were younger but left it behind, remaining close friends and quietly in love (well, I think so) as time went on. Taria contracted a terminal disease, from which she came out of remission permenantly during _Siege_, so she is dying and there is no way to cure her at this point in the chronology.

I never said I'd be entirely nice to these characters.

* * *

Chapter 2: In which more problems arise.

Arana found him when he was washing his face in the refresher, trying to alleviate his weariness with cold water.  
"I cannot agree with your actions Kenobi," he said.  
Obi-Wan didn't face him, "Honestly Master Arana could you not think of a more useful topic of conversation? Going over old ground is not going to help."  
"Qui-Gon Jinn may have believed Dooku was harmless but no one else did."  
Obi-Wan recalled Kit's words to him a few months ago, "Qui-Gon didn't know what we know now and he didn't live to find out."

"You shouldn't have brought him back."  
"Sorry?"

"You shouldn't have brought him back," Arana said again, "You've thrown the whole Order into turmoil by doing so!"

"Okay," Obi-Wan said, his frustration bubbling over, "Can we not get past this? Dooku is a Sith; we know this! It happens, we have a whole history that tells us it happens, the only reason the Sith exist is because this sort of thing happens – Jedi fall to the Dark Side! Why should Dooku's case get everyone so wound up? Why can't we get over that and focus on what is important? Jedi and clones don't die every day because Dooku is a Sith, they die because we're at war with him and that in itself is something to be worried about because Jedi should not go to war and yet I don't hear anyone asking why we are at war; we can't shut up about why Dooku fell to the Dark Side!  
Apart from anything else Quinlan's case is completely different to Dooku's; he was on an undercover mission to infiltrate Dooku's inner circle. Such a mission demanded things of him we wouldn't expect to suffer as Jedi and we knew that – or we would have known if anyone had felt it necessary to tell us, or even ask an outside opinion because, maybe, sending a Jedi who walks close to the Dark Side in the first place to pretend to a Sith that he has indeed fallen wasn't such a good idea! I don't hear anyone asking questions about that either – shouldn't it worry us once people start talking in terms of 'need-to-know' inside this temple? Since nobody made any complaint at the time, I mistakenly thought that no one minded Quinlan returning to the Order, especially since the entire council agreed to take him back without question; so exactly where did I go wrong?  
And why am I and Quinlan the only ones being chastised for making a complete mess of things when it was someone else who had the idea – the worst idea any Jedi has ever come up with since somebody said 'actually it might be a good idea to send out Jedi as generals for this clone army the Republic has all of a sudden with no explanation as to why it got there'? Why am I the only person who seems to have a problem with all of this?"

Arana seemed taken aback and Obi-Wan realised he'd started shouting at some point.

"My apologies Master Arana," he said in a much quieter voice, "It's been a long night, I'm tired and you're bugging me. I'm going to get some sleep. Ask Master Windu to wake me up if anything happens, if you wouldn't mind?"

"You could ask me yourself."  
Obi-Wan turned with a sense of creeping dread. Mace Windu was standing in the doorway; nothing in his face betrayed any sign that he had heard Obi-Wan's railing but he couldn't have been that far away.  
"Master Arana, if you would excuse us?"  
Arana didn't question the senior master and disappeared without a word.

"Master –" Obi-Wan began but Mace waved his apologies away unheard.  
"Obi-Wan," he said, "I'm not worried about you. Neither is Master Yoda. We know you're not the same man who left for Zigoola and however the Dark Side may be involved we aren't worried about you; as long as you are aware of what's happened to you, of what is still happening to you, then that's fine."  
Obi-Wan nodded, his eyes downcast, "Thank you Master."  
He returned to his room after that and tried to sleep. Sleep took a long time to come because his brain kept bouncing between anger at Arana, shame at his outburst and fear for Quinlan – and for himself. _As long as you're aware of what's happening to you_ Mace had said; but how aware could he actually be? Eventually he slipped into a troubled and broken sleep, not fully waking until the next morning. By then the numbers in the war room had dwindled a little but not by a great number. Koffi Arana did not meet his eye as he entered. Obi-Wan found himself glancing at the chrono to check how many hours Quin had left. Sensee Tinn came over, asking after Anakin.  
"Arana believes Vos has gone back to Dooku," he murmured to him.  
"What do you believe?" Obi-Wan asked, remembering Sensee Tinn had been one of the more suspicious members of the Council on Quin's return. Sensee, however, did not answer him but moved on to talk to somebody else.  
It was almost instantaneous; pain erupted in Obi-Wan's brain like an explosion. His vision clouded and he felt himself sinking to the floor. The scene around him dissolved into red fire and he had a detatched sense of falling. Along with it came the feeling of a thousand deaths, all at once, a burst of grief and pain and a dark laugh from somewhere deep in his mind.  
The pain began to dull itself slowly; as it receded he could feel hands under his arms lifting him to his feet. It was as if he was being lifted out of a dark abyss, the death and fire remaining at the very bottom; but the dark laughter rang in his ears all the way back to full consciousness. Slowly his vision brought the war room back into focus. All eyes were now on him, some wearing expressions of puzzlement, some concern. He dared not seek out Arana's face in the crowd. Mace Windu, still steadying his arm, helped him to the door, "Obi-Wan, I need you to go down to Master Vokara Che right now." Obi-Wan found himself dimly nodding.  
"Master Kenobi," Yoda said from somewhere near the floor, "ask, I must, what you saw."  
There was no point asking how it was he knew Obi-Wan had received a vision of some kind; Yoda's perceptive nature went beyond anyone he knew.  
"Fire," he managed, finding his throat was dry, "and pain. I felt death Master."  
The silence crashed in again like a wave at this statement. Obi-Wan turned and left the room with slow steps, leaving dead silence behind him.

Master Che gave him a concerned look when he arrived at the Halls of Healing, "Master Kenobi have you been overreaching yourself?"  
"I think I must have," Obi-Wan said, "but I promise you it was not by my own free will." He forestalled her questions with a request, "May I visit Taria?"  
Master Che nodded, almost kindly.  
There had been times in the past when Obi-Wan would have described Master Taria Damsin as a strong woman; now, laid out on the white bedsheets, her blue-green hair fanned out across the pillows, she could not have looked more frail. He took a seat beside her bed and gently placed a hand over hers; but of course, being Taria, she'd sensed his arrival and the smile was already parting her lips.  
"You know," said she, "it's rather ironic. You look so spent nowadays, anyone would think you were the one that was ill-"  
"-and you look too alive to be dying," Obi-Wan finished for her, "I know. It's good to see you again."  
She opened her eyes; they were laughing, gently mocking him. Then she became serious and looked at him more carefully, "What's wrong?"  
He told her everything, then he went on to tell her all about the missions he'd been on in the past few months and she told him how bored she was lying here and how much she missed his company.  
"Well," Obi-Wan, with mock-reproach, "this is the price you pay for coming to my rescue."  
"Obi-Wan, Genosis was not your fault."  
He shook his head, "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to refer to it exactly, it's just-"  
"Obi-Wan," she spoke lightly again, "who are you fighting today?"  
"Pardon?"  
"You're always fighting someone; you have been since you came to the Temple all those years ago."  
He didn't know what to tell her; suddenly he felt very alone; alone in his own home, among his only family.  
The silence between them was broken by his comlink beeping. He shot an apologetic look at Taria, "Sorry, do you mind-?"  
She shook her head, the smile never leaving her eyes. Obi-Wan moved away from her side and thumbed the comlink on. "Hello?"  
Padme's voice came across the airwaves sounding strained, "Obi-Wan can you come and see me right now?"  
He frowned, "Yes I can, is everything alright?"  
"About as far from it as it is possible to be."  
"You too?"  
"Just come over won't you?"  
"I'll be there as soon as I can," he assured her, a little more gently, and ended the call.  
He went back to Taria's side but before he could say anything she prevented him from doing so by running her fingers down the side of his face.  
"I'm fine," she said quietly. "Every cough is cared for and analysed by our healers. Your friends need you."  
"I'll see you again soon," he said, kissing her on the cheek. Then he had to walk out of the room; it was hard not to look back.

Padme was in Bail's office when he arrived. As Obi-Wan entered Bail looked round from the cabinet at the side of the room.  
"Ah," he said, sounding slightly less than his usual, calm self, "Obi-Wan. Have a drink."  
He poured out a glass of something smelling suspiciously like brandy and proffered it.  
"Thanks," Obi-Wan said not entirely concealing his surprise. He took the drink from Bail, turned round, set it down on the table untouched and turned back to face him.  
"So what's your problem?"  
"What makes you think there's a problem?" Bail's question wasn't defensive; it had a note of interest.  
"The fact that you've just offered me an alcoholic drink," Obi-Wan replied, sitting down on the sofa, "and since my day can't possibly get any worse, you'd better tell me about it."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: In which the very worst thing happens.

"I was visited by Valorum last night," Bail began.  
That surprised Obi-Wan.  
"As in ex-Supreme Chancellor Valorum?" he asked.  
"Voted out during the Naboo Crisis, yes," Bail nodded.  
"What did he want to see you for? Come to that what was he on Corescant for?"  
"He said he wanted to talk to me; I got the feeling that was less than the whole truth."  
"Why?" Obi-Wan asked, then shook his head, "No, ignore that, more importantly; why did he want to see you?"  
"Valorum wanted to talk to Bail about the power Palpatine is gathering for himself," Padme explained. "He wanted him to start putting up resistance to bills in the Senate which increase the Chancellor's special powers."  
Obi-Wan could see a slightly tense look in her eyes; the Chancellor was a man she respected, a respect that went all the way back to the Naboo Crisis and its immediate aftermath. This couldn't be an easy conversation for her especially since he knew that _she _knew Valorum had a point; Palpatine was gathering power for himself, much more than any other Chancellor ever had and that sort of innovation was dangerous.  
Unfortunately a visit from Valorum in the middle of the night for a conversation that, technically bordered on treason was even worse.  
"You know what?" he said lightly. "I was wrong; my day just got worse."  
He went on, "Is there any record of what you and Valorum said to each other, or could you have been overheard?"  
"I've been over the security systems already," Bail assured him.  
"Do me a favour and go over them again," Obi-Wan retorted.  
"That isn't the whole of it," Padme interjected.  
Obi-Wan put a hand over his eyes, "Go on."  
The refugee ship that blew up this morning-"  
He looked up sharply, "That's what it was?"  
Padme glanced at Bail but he simply shrugged, "Yes, down at the main shipyards."  
The Jedi took a deep breath, "Alright, what's it got to do with Valorum."  
"He was on it."  
Obi-Wan felt his heart start bashing against his ribs. He'd met Valorum several times; how had he not sensed the passing of an acquaintance amid so many he'd never met? Then even that was overshadowed by the thought that he had sensed the deaths in the explosion from the Jedi temple nearly a hundred miles away and no one else had, not even Master Yoda.  
"How do we know?" he managed to ask.  
"Because I was there to see him off," Bail explained.  
Obi-Wan found himself staring at his friend, "You did _what_?"  
Bail sat down behind his desk and Obi-Wan could see how dejected and deflated he looked. He found his heart softening a little.  
"Alright - leaving aside the fact that, I assume, it's possible you could have been recognised because there's really nothing we can do about that – do we know why the ship exploded?"  
"As far as we know it wasn't an assassination attempt on Valorum," Padme put in.  
"I notice you used the phrase 'as far as we know'," Obi-Wan said.  
"Padme and I are agreed that we should treat that as the official position only," Bail said, "I don't think Valorum coming to Corescant and getting blown up within twenty four hours is a coincidence."  
"I think I agree with you," Obi-Wan said, nodding. "I hope you're increasing your security detail, in case Valorum said something really important to you."  
"I'm handling it," Bail assured him. "In the meantime we're trying to get the Loyalist Committee together."  
"To marshal opposition as Valorum wanted?"  
"To discuss how safe it is to give any opposition after this independent of what Valorum wanted," Bail pointed out.  
"Right," Obi-Wan said slowly. "You want me to find out who killed Valorum don't you?"  
"If you're not busy at the moment," Padme said. "I'm not sure it's safe for us to start asking questions just yet."  
Obi-Wan sighed heavily.  
"Because of circumstances far beyond my control I'm not busy at the moment."

Padme walked him out of Bail's office, "I really appreciate this Obi-Wan."  
"Bail's really shaken by this isn't he?" Obi-Wan said, glancing back.  
"A high ranking and, frankly, quite dangerous politician comes to see him in the middle of the night and then dies the next morning? He certainly is."  
"Well when Kit gets back tomorrow I'll rope him in. We should be able to find something; at least we can prove whether it was definitely an assassination attempt or not. Actually," he continued, frowning, "proved or otherwise it's an 'assassination' rather than an assassination 'attempt' isn't it? Especially since it worked."  
Padme had noticed he'd mentally wandered away from the important aspect of the topic and she was about to make a comment to that effect when they heard a scream. Further down the corridor a woman was standing transfixed in front of the doorway to another senator's office. With barely a glance at each other Obi-Wan and Padme ran towards her but stopped dead when they saw what she was looking at.  
The office had a wide transparisteel window, spanning the opposite wall, and offering an enviable vista of the Corescant skyline; it had also been smashed through. This allowed a breeze to waft through the room and to gently turn the corpse hanging from the ceiling.

"Bail! Drink!" Obi-Wan said as he led Padme back into the office. He took the drink sat her down and forced it into her hand.  
"She'll be better in a minute," he said by way of explanation. "Whose office is three doors down from here to the left?"  
"Senator Rishinn."  
"Right; he's dead."  
"You're joking."  
"I really wish I were," Obi-Wan returned, running a hand across his face. "He's been hanged. Did you know him?"  
Bail looked up at him sharply, understanding in his eyes, "You think this is connected with Valorum?"  
"Weren't we just saying it's all too coincidental?" Obi-Wan replied.  
"Rishinn was a Loyalist Committee member," Padme cut in from behind him, "one of the leaders."  
Obi-Wan and Bail looked at each other.  
"Definitely connected to Valorum,"Bail said for the both of them.  
"Alright," Obi-Wan continued, "I'll get in touch with Kit and find out when he's getting back."  
Bail nodded, "Do you need a lift back to the Temple?"  
"No I came by citi-bike," Obi-Wan assured him. "I'll comm you if I find anything."  
He made his way back to the docking area, weaving in and out of those walking the corridors without really noticing them. He took off on the citi-bike, turning it towards the Jedi Temple, its spires visible in the distance and was still within sight of the Senate House when his commlink beeped; he landed it on a nearby rooftop. Bail's voice had a tone of shock:  
"We've found another senator."  
"I'm sorry?"  
"Another senator has been murdered. Senator Alder, another leading loyalist."  
Obi-Wan turned his eyes back towards the Senate and his eyes widened as despair flooded through him.  
Slowly he raised the commlink to his lips, "You're one senator short."  
"What?" Bail's confusion was understandable.  
Obi-Wan kicked the citi-bike back into life, "You've got one more senator to find Bail."  
"How do you-?"  
"While you're about it," Obi-Wan continued, "you should get someone to wash the paint off the side of the building; that is I assume it must be paint since no one has that much blood in their system."  
He shut off the commlink and turned the citi-bike, not towards the Temple this time. He was probably expected back at the Temple but at that moment he had more pressing troubles because the worst thing that could possibly have happened while Quinlan Vos, who had been convicted of the murder of a Senator only a couple of months ago, was off the radar - whether by his own design or not – was for three senators to be murdered. He flew off, leaving behind the Senate with its crimson message scrawled in vast letters:

'_This morning, you lost three fighters.'_


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: In which friends are gathered.

Obi-Wan found Dexter Jettster locking the door to his diner.  
"Obi-Wan!" He smiled warmly, "I didn't know you were on Corescant!"  
"Just got back in the last few days," Obi-Wan said with an embarrassed shrug. He'd meant to visit the last few times he'd been home but somehow it hadn't happened. Now he needed Dex's help he'd come down to the diner; it felt wrong.  
"I was locking up," Dex explained, "half day today."  
He registered the look on the Jedi's face, "You can walk me home."  
Together they set off through the streets. Obi-Wan didn't say anything for some minutes.  
Eventually he opened up conversation with, "I need you to look into something for me."  
"I gathered that," Dex said with a shrug, "that's the only reason I see you these days. No, don't worry about it," he continued quickly, "you're a Jedi; you've got responsibilities and you're now busier than ever. It doesn't matter."  
Obi-Wan felt embarrassed again. They walked on for a while in silence before he spoke again; he felt he had to choose his words carefully.  
"Did you know Valorum was on Corescant?"  
The change in his friend's manner was evidence enough that he did not.  
"What was he doing here?"  
"Apparently to speak to some senators, on the quiet," Obi-Wan answered. "The thing is, he's dead. He was on the refugee ship that blew up this morning."  
Dex remained silent so he pressed on.  
"I need to know who he spoke to."  
"Does this have anything to do with the murders in the Senate?"  
Obi-Wan looked down at the ground, "Sort of."  
Dex stopped walking and fixed him with a searching glare, "Is this you asking me or your Intelligence friend?"  
Dexter had remained sceptical of Bail's friendliness, believing that he would use the first opportunity that presented itself to employ him as an official source for the Intelligence department. Dex had remained independent as an informant all his life; for good reason, allegiance in his, less official line of work, was dangerous, though as his friend he was willing to help Obi-Wan when necessary.  
"When did you last see Quin?" Obi-Wan asked.  
"About three months ago, before he went on campaign – why?"  
"Not since? He hasn't contacted you at all?"  
"What's this about?" Dex asked, rather sharply.  
"Dex," Obi-Wan said, "we knew this was coming; Viento was too high-profile for everyone to ignore – I'm running out of tricks for the Council."  
"You didn't tell me the Council asked you to speak to me," Dex's tone was accusing.  
"They didn't. No one has asked me to speak to you; Bail doesn't know I'm here." He took a breath, "Quinlan dropped off the radar nearly thirty-six hours ago and a lot of the Jedi are willing to believe he's gone back to Dooku. My word doesn't seem to work anymore – not on its own. Now three senators have been murdered and I'm worried I can't protect him anymore."  
"They're going to think he killed the senators," Dex finished.  
"Can you blame them?"  
Dex looked at him sharply, "You can't possibly believe that-!"  
"Senator Viento isn't going to be brought up then?" Obi-Wan cut him off. "Quin hasn't contacted anyone for thirty-six hours; they're going to put two and two together and if they come up with five that's hardly surprising! Valorum is the only way we have out of this without Quinlan himself. If those senators were killed because of Valorum's visit then he's safe – or at least safe until he turns up again, wherever that may be."  
Dex looked down at the ground. For a long time neither of them spoke; again Obi-Wan felt guilty.  
"I may have something for you this evening," Dex said quietly.  
"That soon?"  
"Someone has probably already been sniffing around this; it's just a matter of finding out who. Come round tomorrow morning – not by yourself, we don't want to make it obvious you're digging for information. Come for the breakfast rush – bring someone with you. You can even bring your Intelligence friend if you like."  
Obi-Wan chuckled and patted Dex's shoulder, "I owe you one, old friend."  
"I'm doing this for Quin," Dex replied. "If it wasn't you or him in trouble then I wouldn't bother."  
Obi-Wan nodded; he was asking his friend to invade high circles, potentially at his own risk.  
"Just promise me something," Dex continued. "Take care of yourself. At least one of the two of you should."

Obi-Wan was flying back to the Temple when he got a message on his comm-link that made him smile properly for the first time in hours.  
Kit was waiting for him at the docks with a citi-bike of his own. The two masters embraced warmly, and then turned their way towards the Jedi Temple. On the way Obi-Wan explained the situation to his friend. Kit asked few questions and was very quiet once the whole tale was told. He merely stared straight ahead, almost as if he'd heard none of it.  
The Jedi Masters were, once again, assembled in the war room, all looking grim. They stared at Obi-Wan as he entered and barely acknowledged Kit's unprecedented early return.  
"No word I take it?" Obi-Wan asked Mace Windu.  
Mace shook his head, "The question is when do we start to fear the worst?"  
"Assuming we have to fear it at all," Obi-Wan countered respectfully.  
"Are you trying to tell me," Koffi Arana broke into the conversation, "that you still think Vos hasn't returned to his Sith masters?"  
"I haven't seen any reason why I shouldn't," Obi-Wan responded quietly.  
"The fact that three senators have been murdered hasn't given you cause for concern?"  
"Quinlan confessed to the murder of Viento; he believed he was killing the second Sith. It turns out he was wrong. It may surprise you to learn, Master Arana, that Quinlan is not stupid. He's not going to kill his way through every senator in the Republic until he gets to the one he wants."  
Arana wheeled round, "Master Fisto, surely you can talk some sense into Kenobi!"  
Kit was leaning against the wall, arms folded, "I have to agree with Obi-Wan; it does sound rather implausible that Quinlan Vos has returned to Corescant simply to repeat past mistakes. For my part, I would rather consider the issue once I've had some sleep – it's a long journey from the Outer Rim."  
"That's fine," Mace said, "we'll bring the issue before the Council tomorrow; a decision must be made on a course of action but it needs further discussion."  
With that the meeting was disbanded. Obi-Wan felt his heart sink a little; the Council would endeavour to be fair to Quin but he had run out of opportunities to defend his friend.  
He caught up with Kit in the corridor, "Thanks for that in there."  
"No problem," Kit replied, "Though I did warn you this would happen."  
"You did," Obi-Wan agreed. He shook his head, "I honestly thought we'd have more time."  
Kit was studying him, "What's wrong?"  
Obi-Wan ignored the question, "Dex will have dug up something by tomorrow morning; if you don't mind I'd like to rope you and our two political friends in to sort this out."  
He was turning to go when Kit stopped him.  
"What's wrong Obi-Wan?" he asked, more forcefully this time.  
Obi-Wan briefly considered making some excuse, but only briefly.  
"I felt the deaths on the refugee ship this morning," he said, his voice suddenly hoarse, "as if I was there – from here in the Temple."  
Kit stared, "The shipyards are miles away!"  
"Exactly, why do you think I'm scared?" Obi-Wan pointed out.  
Kit put a hand on his shoulder, "He shouldn't do this to you." He looked down, then back up at Obi-Wan, "Come on - sleep. I'll be glad to help out in the morning but right now we both need an early night – or at least some relaxation."  
Obi-Wan found it hard to sleep again that night. The idea kept washing around in his head; somehow the Dark Side had amplified his Force sensitivity. Under any other circumstance he wouldn't have been nearly so concerned; as it was, he wasn't entirely sure what to think about it. He wasn't even certain it was safe to think about it.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: In which Quinlan Vos surprises everyone.

"Okay," Kit said as they joined Bail and Padme in a booth in Dex's diner the next morning, "let's recap so I know what's going on – that is before anything new gets added to the mix."  
The other patrons around them seemed uninterested in either their presence or their conversation but he felt inclined to keep his voice low in any case.  
"Approximately forty-eight hours ago Jedi Master Quinlan Vos, originally on campaign on the edge of Seperatist territory –"  
"Would there be any point in campaigning anywhere else?" Padme muttered to Bail.  
"-disappeared," Kit continued, ignoring the interruption, "or more accurately failed to report in. Nothing has been heard from him since so the Council –"  
"More like half the Jedi Temple," Obi-Wan corrected him.  
"-is really worried given his previous activity."  
"That being a mild description," Obi-Wan said.  
"Approximately twelve hours after Vos dropped off the radar a refugee ship leaving the Corescant shipyards blew up; among the dead though not yet confirmed was ex-Chancellor Valorum who'd come to Corescant in secret the previous day; and it's thought, though again not yet confirmed, that his purpose was to visit certain senators, perhaps in order to turn them against Palpatine."  
"Sort of," Bail said, looking decidedly uncomfortable.  
"Then yesterday afternoon three leading loyalist senators were murdered in the Senate building, which, interestingly enough, leaves our friend Bail right at the head of the party."  
"Which, by the way, I'm not happy about," the senator put in.  
"To cap all this off, now the suspicion of the murders are likely to fall on Vos's shoulders and we've run out of excuses for him. Unfortunately until he decides to reappear it's up to us to sort it out. Now did I leave anything out?"  
"Unfortunately no," Padme assured him, "that is the total sum of our problems."  
"Well, to a point," Obi-Wan muttered.  
Dex chose that moment to pass their table.  
"Nice to see you all," he said, nodding to Obi-Wan. "Give me two minutes and I'll be with you."  
"He's not happy to see me is he?" Bail murmured as Dex carried on down the room.  
"I'm not commenting," Obi-Wan answered, smiling slightly.

When Dex came back he squashed himself into the booth beside Kit; he made a face at Obi-Wan.  
"Right, here's what I have," Dex said, taking a long draft from a can. "Valorum visited your senators, all of them. Nobody has any idea why but if he spoke to Senator Organa as well then I think we can assume we know all we're likely to know."  
"Anything else?" Obi-Wan asked.  
"Well," Dex looked around, "I have a name or two for you – culprit-wise I mean. Unfortunately they're not particularly big names; I'm prepared to bet they're hired help answering to someone else but I couldn't get any more than that except for a hint as to where their haunts tend to be."  
"I should be able to cross-reference the names with our Intelligence databases," Bail assured him.  
"Yeah," Dex grunted.  
"Isn't anyone going to ask why you're investigating these people?" Kit asked with a grin.  
"Not really," Bail grinned back, "I run the place or didn't I say."  
Dex almost glared at Obi-Wan, "Senator I don't want-"  
"No one will know where I got the information from, I promise," Bail cut him off.  
Dex huffed a bit under his breath, "Well if that's all, I've got work to do," and he stomped off.  
"Thanks Dex!" Obi-Wan called after him. He looked apologetically at the others. "Sorry about that."  
"Don't worry about it," Padme said, speaking for the others. "Now let's finish breakfast and get on."  
Kit cleared his throat.  
"Obi-Wan I think you should get back to the Temple – even if we can't help Quinlan now someone needs to be the voice of reason."  
"You won't need help with this?"  
"Don't you worry about us," Kit said, giving him a smile that wasn't entirely genuine.  
He was probably trying too hard; Obi-Wan could tell what he was thinking and why. Whether he resented Kit's worries about his health or his wish to keep him out of danger at the present time, he didn't seem to want to comment on it in front of the others – at least not yet.  
"Alright," Obi-Wan said, "but keep me updated won't you?"  
Kit wished he hadn't taken it so well.  
"You'll be the first to know," Bail assured him. Kit could tell he'd realised something was going on between the two Jedi, though that was probably from reading Obi-Wan rather than Kit.

Obi-Wan flew Padme back to the Senate; it wasn't until they got there that she seemed to have worked up the courage to ask the question she always wanted to.  
"Have you heard from Anakin recently?"  
"He's still on campaign; doing well from what I hear."  
He caught her expression and smiled, "In other words, he's still alive."  
She didn't visibly react but he could sense her relief. For some reason he felt the need to change the subject.  
"Who was the reporter asking about Quinlan?"  
"Sorry?"  
"Before we left for Kuat you were asking about him; some reporter had been to see you."  
"Oh, he was…" she trailed off, searching her recollection, "Mares Toll, that's it."  
"Never heard of him."  
"I shouldn't think there's any reason why you should. Obi-Wan he was just a reporter, he'd heard something that's all – or rather his editor had. They must ask a lot of questions based on small pieces of information they hear."  
He shook his head, "We didn't publish any information about Quinlan, not at the time and not since. So how did he hear anything?"  
Padme swallowed, "Obi-Wan –"  
Sensing she was working up to a question she was afraid to ask he cut her off, "I'm looking for conspiracies at the moment it seems; don't worry about me Padme."

He received a message from the Council as he arrived. Ten minutes later he was in the war room again; everyone hushed him as he came in. The hologram in the middle of the room was of a Republic officer he did not recognise.  
Once Mace Windu had seen him he turned to the officer and said, "We'd like to speak to General Vos now."  
Obi-Wan froze, his breath catching a little.  
Quinlan Vos appeared in hologram, looking his usual serious self, "Masters, I was informed you wished to speak to me."  
"Out of contact, for two days, you have been," Yoda answered him, "and for this, an explanation, I hope you have."  
"I have been following up a lead Master," Quinlan explained, without any real note of apology. "The information was of importance to the situation here."  
"That was for us to decide," Mace admonished him, "and upon your return we shall expect a full report."  
"I shall prepare one for you Master," Quinlan returned. "I am returning in two days," with a nod his image was gone.  
"That's it?" Koffi Arana almost shouted, "a slap on the wrist and all is forgiven?"  
"We are Jedi," Obi-Wan reminded him gently but without a trace of humour, "we are not soldiers. We don't court-martial people." In truth he felt a little betrayed; Quinlan hadn't shown any indication he'd even considered how his little disappearing act would look, or how it would have affected anyone else. Perhaps it was petty, to feel resentment about the whole thing – Quin probably had very good reasons for his actions. Even so, when Quinlan Vos acted now, it wasn't just him that would shoulder the responsibility; Obi-Wan Kenobi would too, possibly for the rest of his life.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: In which resolutions bring no comfort.

Bail Organa was currently crouched, rather uncomfortably, in the shadows on top of an electricity conduit and watching the street below. Here, in the darkest depths of Corescant's sublevels, was where his information had taken him; all he needed was to spot the right face in the crowd.  
Kit dropped onto the conduit beside him, "Traffic's thinning out."  
"I suppose they have homes to go to."  
"Or clubs," the Jedi muttered.  
Bail showed him the datacard he had with him, "He probably won't come alone."  
"Wait a minute," Kit said, looking surprised, "did you contact him?"  
"How else do you get someone who has information he knows is valuable to come out?" Bail pointed out. "I promised to double his money."  
"So he wants money?"  
"No, he'll want to take my money and pass my name on to his employer. Someone payed him to kill three senators, I'm prepared to bet money that he's working for a big player."  
Kit eyed him for a moment. "You are getting far too good at this for an honest senator."

They waited for some time, watching the people below disappear into the blackness. Eventually the dark engulfed everything but for the few lights of the buildings and establishments around them. It must have been at least forty-five minutes before a group of five disentangled themselves from the shadows and stood in an organised huddle in the light.  
Bail whistled between his teeth; "They have a wookiee," he murmured and indeed, it was impossible to mistake the hulking shape for anything else.  
Kit took his lightsaber from his belt, glancing briefly at the datacard to check that the man in the centre was the intended target, "You'd better leave this to me."  
"Okay but no serious damage."  
"What possible harm could I do to them?"  
Bail raised one eyebrow at him, "I don't think you really want me to answer that question."  
Kit gave him a grin and jumped off the conduit into the still night air. Bail heard the scream from below and tried not to smile.

If Bail had been told that Kit Fisto was a formidable sword-master he doubted that he would have been any less astonished. Those who described Jedi as old-fashioned for choosing a lightsaber over a ranged weapon, he fancied, had never seen one fight. The precision with which the blade sought out it's target, often the smallest gap between pieces of light body-armour and never with the more wide-sweeping blows that so often meant a fatal wound – he made a mental note never to find himself on opposite sides with the Nautolan Jedi. Had the wookiee been prepared for a Jedi, doubtless he would have made more trouble; as it was he was the first to run, clearly judging that this battle could not be won and that being alive was far more profitable than being dead. As a result of this, the dance of the lightsaber was rather short, if no less beautiful.

Finally there was only one member of the group left standing. Bail carefully made his way down to join Kit, who was standing above the man, his lightsaber held casually by his side.  
"You know how this works Jard," Bail said calmly but with the hint of a lack of patience with the proceedings, "tell us who hired you for the job and you'll get away without injury."  
Jard was carefully eyeing Kit's lightsaber as he spoke, "Senator you know I'm not stupid and neither are you. I'm not telling you anything – that way I live, with or without injury."  
Bail studied him for a moment, "No I think you will tell us what you know because I doubt you know anything of critical importance."  
He leaned in closer, "We looked at your bank records. You've been paid a lot of money, far more than anyone is likely to put out, even for a simple murder – or three in this case. In fact, more money than even the Seperatists are likely to pay for a hired gun."  
"I'm not with the Seperatists!" Jard blurted out, panic setting in at the prospect of being arrested as a spy.  
"We believe you," Kit assured him, "but you were paid by someone."  
"Someone who paid you huge sums of money to get you noticed," Bail continued. "I think he, or she, knew we'd check bank records and then you'd be arrested for murder."  
Jard seemed to be considering something. All at once he cried out, "I don't know his name!"  
Bail let himself smile a little. "That's alright," he said, just a little patronisingly, "just tell us what you _do_ know."  
"He paid me to murder the senators, gave me money to hire Anzati - I mean, they're the best."  
"You never met him?"  
"Only the once – scared the life out of me. All cloaked up and his voice sounded like he was gargling round a rock in his throat."  
Bail was watching Kit, "Was he a Separatist?"  
Jard shook his head violently, "No – he wanted me to know that; said I was to tell that to anyone I met."  
Kit nodded once; Bail relaxed a little. The man was telling the truth.

About half an hour later they both sat on a bench outside the Senate building watching the stars and the lights of Corescant.  
"Obi-Wan told you about the droids on Kuat, didn't he?"  
Bail nodded.  
Kit cursed quietly, "I _told_ him not to-"  
"He told me because he didn't want me to blame myself for my intelligence being wrong when it wasn't."  
Kit shook his head, "Well then, you'll want to know that we still haven't had any luck with the symbol."  
Bail let his voice get harder, "Kit, I don't want to know any more than you're allowed to tell me – I don't ask that of any Jedi, particularly ones that are my friends."  
Kit was silent for a while.  
"You're scared aren't you?" Bail asked, in what was meant to be a kindly tone.  
"Jedi should not feel fear," Kit replied; then he sighed, "but it does no good to ignore it – let us say I am worried."  
"If Jard's employer wasn't Separatist what are we looking at? Some kind of psychotic?"  
"It depends," Kit said. "Do you think the man behind the murders is the same as the one behind the army on Kuat?"  
Bail couldn't find an answer to that. Eventually he got up, "We should both be somewhere else – apart from anything else I've got to sort out Jard's charges; it all rather depends on what you want me to say."  
"I'll ask the Council," Kit said, not getting up. "There's something else we should talk about though."  
He looked up at the Senator and didn't try to hide any emotion on his face, "It's about Obi-Wan."

Jedi Master Quinlan Vos arrived the very next afternoon; only Obi-Wan Kenobi was there to meet him, on account of the Council's fears that a large welcoming committee would look as if they were suspicious of him.  
Quinlan embraced his friend warmly, without any concern in his manner, "You look older."  
"So everyone keeps telling me," Obi-Wan replied as they walked inside.  
The afternoon sun was slanting into the Temple through every window, making the whole place warmer and almost tailored to welcome the recalcitrant Jedi home. Obi-Wan looked round, expecting to see the Jedi Temple as it was before the war, a place entirely at peace. Today, he could see evidence of the war all around them, invading even this sanctuary and his home.  
He forced himself to look at Quinlan, "I'm not expecting you to tell me where you were-"  
"It's in the report," Quinlan assured him, suddenly defensive.  
"-but I do want you to know that both Dex and I have gone out of our way for you over the last few days."  
"I don't need you to defend me Obi-Wan." He meant it as a friendly assurance but Obi-Wan had no time for it now.  
"Actually I think you do," he said quietly. "It's just something you're going to have to consider now Quin. You're actions are going to have more consequences than before and whether that's Dooku's fault or your own it's how things are now. Maybe when the war is over you can run around the fringes of the galaxy like some smuggler but not now. Leaving aside Dex and myself, you'll have to think of your master Tholme and if not him then Aalya – she took your defection hard and however much she may believe there's good in you that belief can only last so long."  
"Are you saying she'd give up on me?" Quinlan retorted. He stepped back to look at his friend, "Have _you_ given up on me I wonder?"  
Obi-Wan opened his mouth to reply but it died before he could give it voice because he was no longer sure; no longer sure of himself, not sure of his friend, not even of his place in the world.  
He was saved from answering by the interruption of Koffi Arana who called across, unashamedly scathing, "Glad to see you've made your decision about whose side you're on Vos!"  
Quinlan was about to react but Obi-Wan gripped his arm to restrain him. When Quinlan looked down at him, he gave him a look, as if to say 'this is what you must expect now'.  
For now, though, he went over to Arana and said very quietly, "What's worrying me, Master Arana, is that a reporter knew something about Quinlan who, for all his faults, remains strictly a Jedi matter."  
At Arana's expression he added, "Oh, I'm not saying it was you who got in touch with the editor of the Corescant Political Journal, but I do think you know who did. Don't sell out your fellow Jedi Koffi, it does you no credit at all."  
Arana stared at him for a moment, then turned away and walked off, a little more briskly than before.  
Quinlan came up to Obi-Wan, "He's going to make you regret that. After all, you're supposed to be a good Jedi, remember."  
Obi-Wan breathed out slowly, looking up into the vaulted ceiling of the hall, "I'm starting to understand; everyday we get a little bit better, if only a little bit. Even that will eventually be enough to live with."  
Quinlan raised an eyebrow, "You're just seeing that now?"  
He shrugged, "My excuse is that the Dark Side clouds everything."  
"Should you be joking about that?"  
Obi-Wan looked him squarely in the eye now, "In my case it happens to be true."  
Quinlan was still sceptical, "I suppose this revelation of yours is supposed to mean something to me?"  
"It means it'll get better, for you as well. On day you and I might even be normal people again."  
He turned and walked away from his friend, who was still his friend, through the halls of his home which, every day, was starting to be just a little less like home.


End file.
